Quad FM meet in Japan to discuss regional issues, affirm importance of free, open Indo-Pacific

The India-Australia-Japan-US Ministerial meeting in Tokyo next week will discuss regional issues and the foreign ministers of the Quadrilateral grouping are expected to collectively affirm the importance of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will participate in the foreign ministers meeting of the Quadrilateral grouping on October 6 during his visit to Japan.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said during the regular media briefing that the agenda will be broadly focused on the post-COVID-19 international order as well as the need for coordinating responses to the challenges emerging from the pandemic.

"The second meeting of the India-Australia-Japan-US Ministerial will be held on October 6 during the visit. In this meeting, Foreign Ministers of the respective countries will be participating," Srivastava said.

"The agenda will be broadly focused on the Post-COVID-19 international order as well as the need for coordinating responses to the challenges emerging from the pandemic. There will also be a discussion on regional issues. The Foreign Ministers are expected to collectively affirm the importance of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific," he added.

This grouping is seen as a response to China's growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. It will be the first meeting of Quad foreign ministers amid border tensions between India and China.

The agenda of the meeting includes maritime security, counter-terrorism, connectivity and infrastructure development with the objective of promoting peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

A meeting of Quad leaders was held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last year.

The Quad meeting is expected to focus on strategic and security challenges in the region and joint strategy is likely to be discussed.

The meeting would give an opportunity to the like-minded countries to discuss and improvise on global supply chains.

Japan and India had recently signed a military pact enabling them to exchange supplies and logistical support.

Collaboration in coronavirus vaccine development and response to COVID-19 are also expected to be discussed in the meeting.

( With inputs from ANI )

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